2015 Family Office Design Workshop - May 5-6

Overview

Tuesday, May 05, 2015 - 04:00am
Wednesday, May 06, 2015 - 11:30am
When families are thinking about forming a family office, or are new to the world of setting up a family office, they want to get things right from the start. They want to know what steps to take, when to take them, and how to avoid costly mistakes. But they can’t see down the road to know what will be needed. This workshop is designed to help. 
       
Drawing on 25 years of experience working closely with the most sophisticated families in the world and its proprietary Family Office Blueprint™ process, FOX presents the “Family Office Design Workshop,” designed specifically for families who are thinking about creating a family office or brand new offices that are just getting started.
 
This comprehensive, two-day program addresses the issues that family members and office executives need to understand as they launch a new family office. Day 1 focuses on the guiding principles and key concepts that every family member should consider, and Day 2 delves into office operations and other critical issues for office executives. We encourage you to bring the members of the family who will champion this effort along with your office executives to learn as a group about the following:
 
  • Family enterprise goals, governance, ownership structures 
  • Roles and responsibilities of the family and the family office
  • Family office costs and measures of success
  • Scope of services, including investment guidelines and processes
  • Operations and infrastructure, including technology solutions and staff compensation
 
For more information, call 312.327.1231 or email events@familyoffice.com.
 
 
Refund Policy: Refunds of payment  will be offered if the cancellation is made in writing to Family Office Exchange at events@familyoffice.com five or more business days prior to the start of the event.
 
Additional Attendees: Additional attendees from the same organization receive a discount. Before registering an additional attendee please send an e-mail to events@familyoffice.com. 
 
Region
United States
Location
University of Chicago Gleacher Center
Recommended For
Wealth Owners considering a family office.

May 5: 

Guiding Principles and Key Concepts -  for wealth owners and office executives

8:00 a.m. Registration & Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

9:30 a.m.

Family Culture and Enterprise Goals
Family Governance Process
Enterprise Structures
Group Discussion and Q & A
 

This session introduces the concept of the family enterprise (what a family owns together and wants to preserve as family capital – financial, business, philanthropic, social, etc.). This overview explains the importance of working together to determine what the family enterprise looks like and what will be passed on to future generations.  Effective governance structures and decision-making processes help sustain the family enterprise. Participants will gain an understanding of governance in the family setting, the key elements of governance (vision, leadership and decision-making) and the variety of structures that support the family enterprise.

12:30 p.m. LUNCH BREAK

1:30 p.m. 

Roles and Responsibilities of the Family and the Family Office
Types of Family Offices
Regulatory, Legal and Tax Considerations
Group Discussion and Q & A

This session explores the roles that family members play in leadership of the enterprise and in partnership with the family office. This discussion helps participants understand the many types of offices and identify the type of office that is needed to achieve the family’s goals. Participants will learn about the pros and cons of various ownership structures, and will be exposed to the regulatory and tax considerations that impact decisions about the legal structure of the family office.

3:00 p.m.

Family Office Costs
Fee Structures
Funding the Office
Measuring Goals against Results – the Family Office Report Card
Group Discussion and Q & A

Leveraging the insights of the 2014 FOX Family Office Benchmarking™ survey, FOX experts will answer questions about offices costs and outline common cost allocation methods and typical fee structures. The first day will close with an explanation of how to evaluate the family office each year and time for group discussion and Q & A.

5:00 p.m. ADJOURN 

6:00 p.m. Reception & Dinner at Gleacher Midway Club 

May 6: 

Office Operations – Technical Considerations for office executives (wealth owners are welcome)

8:00 a.m. Registration & Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m. Welcome and Key Insights from Day 1

9:30 a.m.

Integrated Wealth Management: The Importance of a Holistic Approach
Scope of Family Office Services
Service Delivery  Process
Investment Strategy, Policy and Processes
Group Discussion and Q & A                

The family office is uniquely positioned to ensure that a family’s wealth is managed in an integrated fashion, where each financial decision is considered in the context of the family’s long-term goals and financial (tax, estate, investment) realities. Participants will learn about the most common family office services and service delivery alternatives. FOX experts will examine this integrated framework and dig into the investment process with information designed to help participants understand a best practice investment process.

12:30 p.m. LUNCH BREAK

1:30 p.m.  

Family Office Organization and Management
Talent and Team Structure
Staff Development Considerations
Compensation and Benefits
Group Discussion and Q & A

The talent and integrity of the family office staff has the greatest impact on the office’s success. Every office struggles to attract and retain top talent. In this session, participants will learn about the roles and responsibilities of key staff members and best practices in family office compensation and benefits offerings.

3:00 p.m.

Family Office Technology
The Integration Challenge
Software Solutions and Data Security
Wrap Up: Next Steps in the Design Process
Group Discussion and Q & A                

The family office is the primary source of consolidated financial information, and better reporting means better decision-making. Having the right technology in place is critical for success. This session addresses the integration challenge inherent in consolidating data from multiple sources and identifies software solutions that have been used by other family offices with success. The program concludes with the review of a helpful planning guide that outlines critical next steps in the design process.

4:30 p.m. ADJOURN

 Up to 12 CPE credits are offered for this workshop.  CPE credits are subject to individual state acceptance.

Sara Hamilton, Founder & CEO

Sara Hamilton is the Founder and CEO of Family Office Exchange (FOX), the definitive source of information and best practices associated with the business of managing family wealth across generations. The strength of the FOX network is derived from the collective knowledge and experience of over 340 globally-minded family enterprises based in 18 countries. 
 
Since 1989, FOX has made solutions accessible to financial families by fostering dialogue among wealth owners, family office executives and wealth advisors. In 2014, FOX celebrated its 25th  anniversary of service and remains true to its founding mission of objectivity in wealth management, member education and shared knowledge across a sophisticated, global network of families and leading wealth advisors.
 
Sara is the co-author of Family Legacy and Leadership: Preserving True Family Wealth in Challenging Times, © 2010, Wiley & Sons.  She serves on the Executive Education faculty of the University Of Chicago Booth School of Business for the course on Private Wealth Management offered twice a year in Chicago.  
 
Since 2009, Sara has been named as one of the “Top 50 Women in Wealth Management” by Wealth Manager. She serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Wealth Management and Trusts and Estates as well as a Founding Board of the Chicago Global Donors Network.
 
Prior to founding FOX, Sara worked in marketing and strategy at Harris Bank and AT&T Information Systems.  Sara holds a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Florida.
 

Steven Draper, Senior Consultant

Steven Draper is a Senior Consultant at Family Office Exchange (FOX). He focuses on the “business” side of family office and wealth advisor operations. The emphasis is on solutions to support the integrated financial platform that is key for the Family Enterprise Framework. Steven is also active on the family office research side at FOX to ensure the members have the best available information, resources and solutions to help them streamline the family office processes and technology.
 
In previous consulting positions, Steven has been involved in single and multi-family office assignments ranging from establishing the basic processes, technology and infrastructure required to operate the family office business through to the implementation of a sophisticated, integrated platform that included CRM, portfolio and partnership accounting, cash management, financial planning, risk management, data warehouse, account aggregation and flexible, on-demand reporting.
 
Steven has worked for over 25 years in the wealth management, private wealth and family office
business in the USA, UK, Switzerland and the Middle East. His skill set covers a broad range and includes: strategy and operations for single and multi-family offices; new business and operational structures; process re-engineering and modeling; suitable technology and latest developments; negotiations of contracts with vendors; program/project management of operational change projects and technology install; writing proposals, plans, standards, procedures and guidelines.
Steven holds a B.A. in politics and history.
 

Jane Flanagan, Director of Research and Content Development

Jane is the Director of Research and Content Development at Family Office Exchange (FOX). Jane has been with the firm since 1993, and has served in a number of roles providing value to FOX members, including Managing Director of Membership, Director of Research, and as a Consultant, where she advises and counsels family offices and financial institutions on the wealth management process and family office operations.
 
Jane currently leads the firm’s annual Family Office Benchmarking™ research studies and works as a developer, writer and editor of industry whitepapers and research studies for FOX members. Some of her recent works include: The FOX Guide to the Professional Family Office, Financial Reporting in the Family Office, and 50 Best Practices for an Enduring Family Enterprise. Jane also monitors the FOX listserv and serves as a content resource for the Membership and Research Teams at FOX.
 
Prior to joining Family Office Exchange, Jane worked as a global custody Relationship Manager at the Northern Trust Company. She served as the liaison between her foundation and endowment clients and the bank, coordinating all of their master custody needs.
 
Jane holds a B.A. in political science from St. Norbert College.
 

Charles B. Grace, III, Managing Director 

Charles B. Grace, III is Managing Director at Family Office Exchange (FOX).  He works on strategic planning projects for families and family offices as well as wealth management advisor clients.  Assignments have included work on strategic planning, wealth management cost analysis, development of investment programs, advisor selection, family office and advisory firm structuring, among others.  Charlie is also active on the family office and advisor membership and research side at FOX, including investment focused studies and other initiatives.  
 
Charlie has been active for 20 years in the family office community advising high net worth families and serving as a resource to high net worth families and family offices. 
 
He advised wealth owners on investment portfolios and wealth management for 10 years at the multi-family office Ashbridge Investment Management LLC and the single family office Ashbridge, LLC.  His responsibilities included client relationships, business development, and membership on the firm’s investment committee, as well as business operations and firm strategy as Chairman of the Management Committee of the $1 billion investment advisory firm.  He still serves on the Board of the single family office Ashbridge, LLC.  Charlie has been quoted in various publications on He is a Trustee and Investment Committee member of the Tuttle Fund, Inc. in New York City.  
 
Charlie graduated from the Washington College of Law with a J.D. and is a member of the New York State Bar.  He received a B.A. and M.A. in history from Bates College and the American University, respectively